E121 Ruth getting respect

[Sean]

Originally Posted by glchen

Actually, for the 1921 E121 pitching pose, the difference in the name in the caption is a true variation. There are three ways the name is displayed:

Babe Ruth (w/o quotes)
"Babe" Ruth (w/ quotes)
George Ruth

For the 1922 E121 cards (holding ball, bird, montage), I have only seen the "Babe" Ruth (w/ quotes) as the caption even though PSA shows other variations in the pop report.

For the 1922 W575-1 pitching pose, there are also three ways the caption is displayed, same as the 1921 E121 version.

Also, the Babe and "Babe" variations list him as a right fielder. The George version calls him a left fielder.

Was the George the earlier version of the card?

[Steve D]

Thank you Gary for the correction. I actually just saw the LF caption variation for the card a couple days ago, as one is soon going up for auction.

Sean, I don't know which variation was first, but here's the breakdown for Babe's games played in LF and RF over his career:

Year Tm Pos G GS
1918 BOS LF 47 46
1919 BOS LF 110 106
1920 NYY LF 32 31
1920 NYY RF 86 84
1921 NYY LF 132 132
1922 NYY LF 71 71
1922 NYY RF 39 39
1923 NYY LF 68 68
1923 NYY RF 73 73
1924 NYY LF 50 50
1924 NYY RF 100 98
1925 NYY LF 33 32
1925 NYY RF 66 66
1926 NYY LF 82 82
1926 NYY RF 68 67
1927 NYY LF 56 56
1927 NYY RF 95 95
1928 NYY LF 55 55
1928 NYY RF 99 99
1929 NYY LF 55 55
1929 NYY RF 78 77
1930 NYY LF 53 53
1930 NYY RF 91 91
1931 NYY LF 51 51
1931 NYY RF 91 91
1932 NYY LF 44 43
1932 NYY RF 87 85
1933 NYY LF 54 54
1933 NYY RF 78 77
1934 NYY LF 33 33
1934 NYY RF 77 76
1935 BSN LF 22 22
1935 BSN RF 4 4
15 Seasons RF 1132 1122
18 Seasons LF 1048 1040

If I were to guess, I would say the RF Babe Ruth card was probably issued first. He didn't play RF until 1920, when he played over 2 1/2 times as many games there, as in LF. He did not play RF again until 1922, and then only half the games he played in LF. So, American Caramel probably thought he was being moved to RF due to the games he played there in 1920. Then when he played only in LF in 1921, they printed the cards showing him as a LFer.

Steve

[Baseball Rarities]

Here is a pretty nice example of the GEORGE with L. F. version. You do not seem to see this version nearly as often as the others.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351822810238...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[rhettyeakley]

The GEORGE version was produced AFTER the BABE and "BABE" versions.

[pawpawdiv9]

Originally Posted by Baseball Rarities

Here is a pretty nice example of the George L. F. version. You do not seem to see this version nearly as often as the others.

I was interested in this one, as its my fav pose (as I got a photo like it)
I had intended to bid on it. Even researched that it sold for 8k back in Goodwin in 2013. With that being said..it has almost reached that mark.
Look up Steve Soloway...interesting facts on this person. As I did not know who he was.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Baseball Rarities

Here is a pretty nice example of the GEORGE with L. F. version. You do not seem to see this version nearly as often as the others.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351822810238...%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Sold for $12,100.

Not bad for a card that off center.

[yanksfan09]

I think the buyer got a bargain at 12k. A bit off center but really nice otherwise and the really tough "George" version. Wish I had the extra money to have gone after it.

[itjclarke]

Originally Posted by yanksfan09

I think the buyer got a bargain at 12k. A bit off center but really nice otherwise and the really tough "George" version. Wish I had the extra money to have gone after it.

Agreed, OC or not, it is super clean & white. Great card. Per prior post, I think Ruths are as sound an "investment" as there is. A card like this maybe doesn't see the 500% gains of PSA 9-10 Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson rookies, but I also think it's much safer against a potential drop off.

[Leon]

Agree 100 percent

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Agreed, OC or not, it is super clean & white. Great card. Per prior post, I think Ruths are as sound an "investment" as there is. A card like this maybe doesn't see the 500% gains of PSA 9-10 Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson rookies, but I also think it's much safer against a potential drop off.

[ls7plus]

Originally Posted by itjclarke

Agreed, OC or not, it is super clean & white. Great card. Per prior post, I think Ruths are as sound an "investment" as there is. A card like this maybe doesn't see the 500% gains of PSA 9-10 Pete Rose and Reggie Jackson rookies, but I also think it's much safer against a potential drop off.

This may start some controversy, but I can easily see the PSA "10" Rose and Ryan rookies that sold in the recent August 2016 Heritage auction having their decimal points moved one place to the left once the investors leave the field. At those prices, quite a few will be left holding the bag. I certainly would'nt trade either my better Cobb or Williams rookies for either, if they had to be kept long term!

Best wishes and don't get caught up in the hype and hoopla,

Larry

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by Steve D

Thank you Gary for the correction. I actually just saw the LF caption variation for the card a couple days ago, as one is soon going up for auction.

Sean, I don't know which variation was first, but here's the breakdown for Babe's games played in LF and RF over his career:

Year Tm Pos G GS
1918 BOS LF 47 46
1919 BOS LF 110 106
1920 NYY LF 32 31
1920 NYY RF 86 84
1921 NYY LF 132 132
1922 NYY LF 71 71
1922 NYY RF 39 39
1923 NYY LF 68 68
1923 NYY RF 73 73
1924 NYY LF 50 50
1924 NYY RF 100 98
1925 NYY LF 33 32
1925 NYY RF 66 66
1926 NYY LF 82 82
1926 NYY RF 68 67
1927 NYY LF 56 56
1927 NYY RF 95 95
1928 NYY LF 55 55
1928 NYY RF 99 99
1929 NYY LF 55 55
1929 NYY RF 78 77
1930 NYY LF 53 53
1930 NYY RF 91 91
1931 NYY LF 51 51
1931 NYY RF 91 91
1932 NYY LF 44 43
1932 NYY RF 87 85
1933 NYY LF 54 54
1933 NYY RF 78 77
1934 NYY LF 33 33
1934 NYY RF 77 76
1935 BSN LF 22 22
1935 BSN RF 4 4
15 Seasons RF 1132 1122
18 Seasons LF 1048 1040

If I were to guess, I would say the RF Babe Ruth card was probably issued first. He didn't play RF until 1920, when he played over 2 1/2 times as many games there, as in LF. He did not play RF again until 1922, and then only half the games he played in LF. So, American Caramel probably thought he was being moved to RF due to the games he played there in 1920. Then when he played only in LF in 1921, they printed the cards showing him as a LFer.

Steve

According to this:

After losing a ball in the sun in the Polo Grounds’ leftfield on July 16, 1922, Ruth refused to ever play the sun field again, and he didn't. His position thereafter was determined by the geographic orientation of the ballpark in which he was playing. For the rest of his career, Ruth played exclusively in rightfield at the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium, as well as in Washington and Cleveland but exclusively in leftfield at the other AL cities (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and St. Louis).

[ullmandds]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

According to this:

After losing a ball in the sun in the Polo Grounds’ leftfield on July 16, 1922, Ruth refused to ever play the sun field again, and he didn't. His position thereafter was determined by the geographic orientation of the ballpark in which he was playing. For the rest of his career, Ruth played exclusively in rightfield at the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium, as well as in Washington and Cleveland but exclusively in leftfield at the other AL cities (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and St. Louis).

That is pretty interesting if true !

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Peter_Spaeth

According to this:

After losing a ball in the sun in the Polo Grounds’ leftfield on July 16, 1922, Ruth refused to ever play the sun field again, and he didn't. His position thereafter was determined by the geographic orientation of the ballpark in which he was playing. For the rest of his career, Ruth played exclusively in rightfield at the Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium, as well as in Washington and Cleveland but exclusively in leftfield at the other AL cities (Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and St. Louis).

I was watching the Dodger game on Sept. 5 when Vin Scully said exactly the same thing. Babe Ruth never played in the sunfield.